The central extended services team would like to wish all of our ...

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The central extended services team would like to wish all of our colleagues es in schools and
in partner agencies a very happy new year and to say a very big thank you for your
continued support. Without the excellent partnership working within the county it is
unlikely that we would be able to deliver the fantastic service currently available to young
people and their families across the county.
Over the past month many of you will have received our new corporate information
packs. These were developed in consultation with partnership coordinators to promote our
work locally. Copies have already been requested by the DCSF! If you have not received a
copy please contact JJackson@northumberland.gov.uk Regionally and nationally the
Northumberland model of delivery through school partnerships is held in high regard.
Continuing the development of our corporate image our new website is now live. The site,
www.extendedservices
servicesncc.co.uk
, is in early stages of development and will eventually
become the main information resource for both local and national information and will
also link to other sites, including those being developed by school partnerships.
This year will be challenging as we work hard to ensure schools continue to provide access
to the full core offer, maintain quality of services, develop sustainable activities, strengthen
partnership working and improve the ways in which the impact of the work is measured.
As in previous years, the central team will continue to provide support to strengthen this
model, working with schools, governors rs and partners in Children’s Services and other
agencies.
Carol Leckie – Acting Extended Services Adviser CLeckie@northumberland.gov.uk
FULL CORE OFFER SCHOOLS
81% of Northumberland schools (160 schools) are now delivering access to the full core
offer of extended services and we are well on track for the Government target for all
schools to be delivering full core offer (FCO) by 2010
Congratulations to each of Northumberland’s Full Core Offer
delivery schools confirmed during Autumn term 2008!
Alnwick the Dukes Middle School
Barndale House School
Corbridge Middle School
Embleton Vincent Edwards CE Aided First School
Longhorsley St Helen's CE Aided First School
Mowbray First School (omitted from the last newsletter)
Scremerston First School
Seahouses First School

PLAYING FOR
SUCCESS
IN BLYTH
On 6th November, the brand new Playing for Success Centre at Blyth
Spartans Football Club, was officially opened. The event was very
well attended, with representatives from the football club, Blyth
Valley Council including the Mayor and Mayoress, Northumberland
County Council, teaching and extended services colleagues as well
as many of the organisations and individuals who have supported
the scheme.
The capital build has been in development for over four years, so the
opening marks the end of a great deal of work from the steering
group. The occasion was marked by a release of balloons in the club
colours. Elaine O'Connor and Robin Casson of Northumberland
County Council Children’s Services Directorate described the
evolution of the centre from a proposal on paper to a centre which
has massive potential for the community of Blyth and the pupils of
Northumberland.
The Playing for Success Centre is currently working with four groups
of children, each on a 10 week scheme, which uses football related
lessons to make aspects of ICT, numeracy and literacy exciting and
motivating. The aim for the centre’s staff is to work with over 360
pupils on the 10 week schemes each year, to raise their attainment
and self esteem in the core subject areas, as well as offering team
building days in schools, and working across Northumberland in
engaging young people.
Mark Lillico MLillico@northumberland.gov.uk 01670369960
Aiming High for Disabled Children
Aiming High for Disabled Children is a major government initiative to improve support for
families of children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities including
Autism Spectrum Disorders and those needing nursing care.
One part of the project is to increase the range and type of short breaks for parents from the responsibilities of
caring for their children. Every Local Authority in England will receive substantial grants to spend on new
services that enable parents to have short breaks. The grant for Northumberland is £350,000 in 2009-10 and over a
million pounds the following year. Jeremy Cripps, Head of Partnership, Planning and Participation in the
Children’s Services Directorate is leading the project in Northumberland.
During the summer parents of disabled children and young people were asked what sort of short breaks they
would like. Top of the list were holiday play schemes, weekend clubs and after school activities for over 14 year
olds. Parents would also like ‘family helpers’ – people who know their child and family well and who can be
trusted to baby sit or accompany children to after-school clubs, sports and other activities.
From January 2009 Jeremy will begin discussions with extended services coordinators about ways in which play
schemes and after school clubs run in mainstream schools can be more inclusive for children and young people
with learning difficulties and disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorders. He will also be talking to special
school extended service coordinators and third sector organisations about play schemes, after school activities
and weekend clubs for those disabled children who require more specialist provision.
NEW TEAM MEMBER
Building on the very successful third sector locality meetings
which were held during the summer term, Northumberland
extended services central core team is delighted to welcome
Marion Stewart, who has joined their team to further develop
this work. Marion was the Acting Head Teacher at
Bedlingtonshire High School before joining Trinity Youth
Association for a year in 2007. A key focus of Marion’s role is to
strengthen links between extended services personnel and
voluntary, community and business colleagues. If you wish to
follow up the locality networking events, find out more, or
indeed just want to contribute to the extended services agenda,
she would be delighted to hear from you. Marion can be
contacted by email via MAStewart@northumberland.gov.uk or
telephone 01670 533578.

Celebration of the opening of Sure Start’s
Children’s Centres North in Alnwick
Sure Start Children’s Centres North has recently
opened their two new Children’s Centres in Alnwick –
one on the site of St Michaels C of E School and the
other on the site of Alnwick South School (Tic Toc).
The Northumberland Digital Learning Awards
provides an opportunity to develop the use of
ICT tools imaginatively and creatively. Schools
are invited to choose their own theme so that it
relates to current work or a topic that is of
interest to a particular class.
So why not promote an extended services
activity in your school or partnership? All
schools are invited to take part. The groupings
are as follows: Foundation, Key Stage 1, Lower
Key Stage 2, Upper Key Stage 2, Lower Key Stage
3, Upper Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and 6th Form.
We are very grateful to Alnwick Garden, our
partners, for supporting this award yet again and
there will be a celebration big bash on 18 th June
2009.
For further information and to register;
visit the NoDis website at :
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/
At present there are several drop-ins and groups held
in the Centres:-
• Parent and Toddler
• Baby Buddies
• Young Mums
• Breastfeeding Workshops
• Baby Massage
• After School Clubs
Through joint working with the Gallery Youth Project,
Connexions and the Community Centre, we are
looking to provide in the future a Dads’ Group and a
Young Woman’s Group (Young Mums who are
‘moving on’).
Early in the New Year, learning provision will be
offered to parents through both family and adult
learning. Examples include:
• First Aid (to include babies and toddlers)
• Skilled for Health (10 week programme)
• Language and Play (6 week programme)
• SHARE
• Triple ‘P’
• Early Start
Work and planning is on-going at present to set up
and run pre-school sessions at both sites.
Staff are looking at the feasibility of visiting all
children at some stage in their first year. This has
been proven in the past to be the most effective way
of ensuring all local families know of the existence of
the Children’s Centre and the support it can offer.
Further work is now planned with our health
colleagues to ensure each new child receives a visit at
the optimum time, fitting in with the new Child Health
Programme.
Staff also aim to undertake more work to ensure a
good level of outreach is provided to our more rural
communities in the Alnwick area.
If further information is required on any of the above,
please contact:-
Jacqui Gibb
Children’s Centre Co-ordinator
Tel:- 01665 600896

Building on Success
In November five Northumberland heads attended ‘Building on Success: a
national conference on the Extended Services Programme’
The purpose was to give primary heads leading full core offer schools an
opportunity to share practice with colleagues and understand more about
how extended services can help schools achieve the 21 st Century vision.
High profile speakers included Beverley Hughes MP Minister of State for
Children, Young People and Families, who delivered a powerful keynote
address. Her theme was the extended school as the blueprint for a 21 st
century school that…….
ensures that all its pupils have access to the support they need for a happy and fulfilling
childhood
positions itself at the centre of the local Children’s Trust,
works in partnership with a cluster of schools employing an extended services coordinator
who can manage the day-today tasks
understands its community needs and designs extended services to meet those needs
offers a broad range of services to pupils, families and local communities
focuses on disadvantage, disability, poverty and ‘closing the gap’
reaps ever greater rewards in motivation, behaviour, attainment and well being.
She and others strongly promoted the new and improved TDA and NCSL School Improvement Planning
Framework, which is pupil focussed and outcomes led.
Another speaker was Leon Feinstein, Professor of Education at London University Institute of Education.
He has developed a comprehensive picture of the nature of social inequality in the UK and the relationships
between things that happen in early life – childhood experiences, school experiences – and adult life
outcomes through a detailed analysis of the UK longitudinal studies of large cohorts of children. He spoke
convincingly to the question of ‘why do we need extended schools?’.
For further information: DASmith@northumberland.gov.uk
We asked some first school heads
“What difference have you seen the extended services agenda make to children,
young people and families?”
They said:
“Space for Sport and the Arts (Community Access) – A capital building programme allowing us
to vastly improve our own sports provision and include a full programme of community
groups who use our facilities every night of the week and most weekends.
The BEST & BiP programmes in Blyth, now CEIT (Swift and Easy Access) – has allowed a multiprofessional
team to operate and bring much faster support to vulnerable children and
families. Hopefully the CEIT teams that are currently being rolled out around Northumberland
will allow other partnerships to benefit in this way. Place 2 Be provision (funded through BiP)
here has had a three fold effect of supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, providing
services for parents and giving expanded opportunity for children’s voice.
Parent Support Partner (Supporting Parents) – We only have a PSP for half a day per week but
this service has allowed us to engage and support parental aspirations in a positive way. An
existing friends of the school group has been re-invigorated, parents have re-engaged with
work and one parent has been inspired enough to wish to become a parent governor. Family
learning days have been held during holidays and these have all built upon our existing
provision”.
Charles Ellis, Headteacher Croftway First School, Blyth

“Extended services have been life
changing for every member of our
community. We have been ably
directed, signposted and supported
in every area. The funding though
never enough has enabled us to
begin to tackle the barriers
associated with inclusion and living
in a rural, sparsely populated area.”
Paula Cummings, Headteacher
Cambo First School
“The impact extended services and the total
commitment of both the extended services
coordinator and parent support partner have had
on our school has been fantastic.
Everyone has benefited, from children, parents
through to the staff. I, personally, have been
overwhelmed by the positive nature of this agenda
and realise the input and energy of extended
services has many excellent outcomes in Every
Child Matters.”
Neil Richmond, Stobhillgate First School
“At Red Row First School, extended services
have helped us to develop and improve the
parent work we had already started to develop.
They have offered support to families who did
not have the confidence to approach school and
given individual support. Relationships have
been built with our more vulnerable parents.
Children have been offered a wide range of
experiences in an area where facilities and
opportunities are lacking. Confidence and self
esteem have increased in both parents and
children.”
What was it that really made the difference?
“Time provided for parents: time to talk, time to
learn, time to receive support, time for their
children to experience new opportunities, time
for shared experiences and making everyone
know school and extended services work
together for the benefit of the whole family”.
Linda Brett, Headteacher Red Row First School
“In Seaton Valley the Parent Support Partner has made a
difference to the outcomes for a number of children
through her work with their parents. Liliana has worked
with a number of families resolving issues as diverse as:
empowering a parent to support their child
through issues resulting in bullying and
behaviour causing exclusions;
referring parents to counselling for domestic
violence;
supporting a one parent family through cancer
diagnosis, the child demonstrated her
anxieties through violence, this has now
stopped;
leading parents from attending family fun
days to family learning and then accessing
parenting workshops.
Through working with the parents, Liliana has enabled
children to access learning as the emotional barriers they
faced have been overcome”.
Linda Nicholls, Headteacher Seaton Delaval First School
“All children, young people and families working together ’naturally’ rather than in an ‘organised’ way.
The different groups see the need and opportunity and welcome the ability to ask, suggest to other
groups. There is now a greater sense of togetherness within the school community and the wider
community”.
What was it that really made the difference?
“The Children’s Centre. Providing so much for the community both at the Centre and in school ensures
that we are at the heart of the extended services and have become a truly useful resource to
community”
Judith Meek, Headteacher Hexham East First School
DID YOU KNOW?
The Direct Gov website
www.direct.gov.uk now includes
information about the extended
school status of every school!
If you have any articles you would
like to contribute to our next
Newsletter, please contact Jill
Jackson 01670533578
JJackson@northumberland .gov.uk

SCHOOLS’ DUTY TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY COHESION
When community cohesion is achieved, there is a common vision, sense of belonging and similar life
opportunities available to all.Since September 2007 schools have been required to promote community
cohesion, a legal duty introduced through the Education and Inspections Act 2006. From September 2008, how
effective a school is at promoting community cohesion has been part of the Ofsted inspection framework. The
duty is also part of the Every Child Matters agenda and the Children's Plan 2007 (DCSF), and is under-pinned by
principles and legislation around equalities, diversity and inclusion.
The schools' duty is part of a wider national-social agenda, and according to the DCSF guidance and Ofsted
inspection framework, your contribution is structured in four different dimensions of community focusing on three
particular strands of your work:
Dimensions of community
SCHOOL • LOCAL • NATIONAL • GLOBAL
STRANDS of WORK
1. Teaching, learning and the curriculum
Understand others, value diversity, awareness of human rights, skills of participation and responsible action
2. Equity and excellence
Remove barriers to participation, reduce achievement gaps, commitment through policy eg equalities, antibullying
3. Engagement and extended services
Opportunities for children/families to interact with people from different backgrounds, build links with parents,
communities and other schools locally, nationally and internationally
Support to schools with regard to promoting community cohesion is led by the Cultural Diversity in
Education team, with the shared expertise of Extended Services and other School Improvement Service
teams where appropriate.
CONTACT US: www.culturaldiversity.org.uk
- You asked, we followed up!
Childcare Sufficiency Audits
At the extended services
coordinators training
in September concern was
expressed about distribution of
the next round of Childcare
Sufficiency Audit questionnaires.
As a result of these concerns we
have met with the Early Years and
Childcare team to discuss a more
coordinated approach.
The next round of childcare audits
will focus on parental views
relating to childcare and activities
for the over 8’s and will take place
in 2009.
Can Community Transport help you?
Community transport providers offer flexible, not-for-profit
transport across Northumberland. For more information,
contact providers below.
Provider Tel No email
A.D.A.P.T 01434 606156 lizp@adapt-tynedale.org.uk
TINN 01665605780 tinnceo@btconnect.com
WATBUS 01670605780 Lynn.watbus@yahoo.co.uk
Upper
Coquetdale
Community
Transport
Belle Vue
Bringo
Project
Wansbeck
on Wheels
01669 620930 Robin.murray23@btinternet
.com
01668219220 Bellviewbelford@tiscali.co.uk
01670811122 Wendy.brown@workinglink
s.co.uk

PTAs and ‘Friends of’ school groups
FROM organising after school discos for the children to holding summer fairs for the community and running
after school drama clubs, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)/Friends Group does it all. Is it surprising that
the top 200 schools in the country have PTA/Friends groups. PTA/Friends groups work with schools to
encourage children to get the most out of their school whilst raising funds for those sometimes vital extra
resources and bringing communities together.
THE National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA) helps PTA/friends groups to work with
governors, staff and community groups, provides training including ‘how to raise money from trusts
foundations and grants’ and provides support, advice, insurance and information for all elements of
PTA/Friends of involvement.
Lee Walker, NCPTA regional adviser for the North East provides support, advice and guidance to PTA/Friends at a local
level, making sure they get the most from the range of benefits the NCPTA offers. In addition, Lee also works closely
with extended schools helping to start and support PTA/Friends groups throughout the region. Contact Lee on 01670
510252 or lee.walker@ncpta.org.uk or visit www.ncpta.org.uk
Extended Services Training
During the Indian summer of 2008 - 25 th -26 th September the Extended Services Coordinators were given the
opportunity to come together to reflect on the past twelve months and plan for the future. It was a great way
to welcome new coordinators, including assistant coordinators to learn more about Northumberland and how
extended services fits into the wider agendas both at a national and local level.
Throughout the two days a vast range of subjects was discussed and workshop sessions gave
opportunities to gain more information on specific areas including risk assessment and risk management with
Peter Flynn, Childcare and the Childcare Sufficiency Audit with Sarah Richard and Lauren Widdrington, a
toolkit, to measure the impact of extended services with Daphne Smith, plus reviewing swift and easy access
with Carol Leckie.
At the end of day one, extended services coordinators were given the opportunity to take part in some fun
team building activities.
The start of day two saw coordinators take part in some challenge activities including finger football with the
champion winners – Haydon Bridge School Partnership. After the official medal ceremony it was back to
business with updates of all core offer areas and local targets for school partnerships.
In the afternoon Robin Casson joined coordinators to share his vision of community leadership and during his
presentation stated,
“School leaders should be aware that school improvement and community development are
interdependent; they share responsibility with others for the leadership of the wider educational
system………This involves changing attitudes, relationships and the deployment of resources ” .
After Robin’s closing remarks coordinators returned home to reflect on the two days and hopefully felt
recharged and raring to go as they went back to their school partnerships.
Sara Jenson Boon SJenson-Boon@northumberland.gov.uk

Students help bring Shipbuilding back to Blyth
The ‘ApprenticeSHIP Project’ is funded and coordinated by the Northumberland extended services
team and involves students from Blyth Community College in the design and building of a 15ft
wooden Skerrie Skiff.
A group of year 10 students from the Blyth School have been working alongside a traditional boat
builder for ten weeks to construct the boat. This achievement is remarkable and the project has
highlighted once again the talent of young people in Northumberland.
This project aims to raise aspirations, build self-esteem and empower the students to develop
transferable and life long skills. The students are encouraged to think creatively and critically
and to take responsibility for their learning.
The students involved have displayed a high level of maturity and commitment to this project.
Their enthusiasm and motivation has been inspirational and their work ethic has ensured that all
deadlines have been met.
Edward Gaze, 14, is one of the ApprenticeSHIP students. He said: "I'm finding the
ApprenticeShip project great. It is a brilliant thing we are doing. We have been learning about
team work and traditional boat building techniques. We have started to build the boat and are
working on the oars, mast and hull. I really love the sessions and can't wait for the next one."
Councillor Simon Reed, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “This exciting project
will give young people valuable practical and transferable skills to help them in their future
careers and may link into a formal apprenticeship opportunity.
“It is hoped to create a tourist attraction and encourage people to visit Blyth and benefit from a
range of re-development opportunities in the town.”
Alex Finnegan, the project’s boat builder, said: “From a standing start where almost none of the
students had any carpentry experience, we now have three parallel teams making the hull, mast
and oars. The 10 week programme has been designed to allow each participant the chance to try
out each of the various tasks and tools within the build, while also giving the creative overview, of
seeing the process through from collection of the planks of wood to sailing the results in Port of
Blyth.
“This type of project can never replace the countless true apprenticeships schemes lost to
unskilled modern manufacturing techniques and global sourcing of resources. However, if in
some way, through building a little boat we can inspire a group of individuals to take
responsibility for their own learning, who knows where this hands-on approach to education
could take them?”
JNugent@northumberland.gov.uk